The Light in the Storm
by jesatria7
Summary: Sirius Black, Marlene McKinnon, & the First War. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I've been mostly lurking in the Harry Potter fandom for almost 10 years now. This is the first time I've ever written HP fic, so we'll see how this goes. I'd like to find someone to Britpick future chapters for me, so if you're interested please let me know. This will be a multi-chap fic & it will eventually be AU, but not for quite a while yet.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. No profit is being made here, it's just for fun. Everything belongs to JKR.

**

_Light in the Storm- Chapter 1_

**

Although he never regretted joining the Order of the Phoenix, the meetings, Sirius had to admit, could be incredibly boring at times. This was one of those times.

He sat at a round table in the Order's secret headquarters, more commonly known as the basement of the Hog's Head. The goat smell that was barely detectable upstairs was much stronger in the basement. Sirius preferred not to think about it.

He had the greatest respect for Mad-Eye Moody, but the old Auror had a tendency to drone on and on about certain subjects. Right now he was in the process of ranting once again about the importance of "constant vigilance" and how no one took security seriously enough in these dangerous times. A quick glance at James, seated to his left, told Sirius that his best friend was just as bored as he was.

Sirius tried to listen, but he just couldn't focus. The fact that Marlene McKinnon, who sat on his right, kept putting her hand on his thigh didn't help. It was quite the distraction. He thought about nudging her to get her to stop, but the truth was that he enjoyed it, much like he'd enjoyed that night last week.

"… and everyone needs to think of a security question or _several_ to ask your family members to be sure they aren't Death Eaters in disguise…" ranted Moody. Marlene's hand was on his thigh again. She patted him twice before running her hand up and down the length of his thigh. He gave an involuntary shiver in response, causing James to turn and look at him.

"You all right, Padfoot?" he asked under his breath.

"Yeah, it's nothing," Sirius whispered back. Marlene's hand was still on his thigh. He hadn't told James about his encounter with her. Ever since they'd left school and James married Lily, they hadn't seen each other as much as they were used to. The Order and the war certainly hadn't helped matters. He did try to visit James and Lily whenever he could, but he couldn't help but feel like an unwanted third party.

Finally, Mad-Eye finished his speech and Dumbledore concluded the meeting. The members of the Order slowly began to make their way upstairs, away from the basement's anti-Apparation jinxes. Sirius was both surprised and slightly relieved when Marlene went upstairs without saying anything to him. He really didn't want to explain what had happened with her to James at the moment.

"Sirius, we'd love to have you over for dinner this week," Lily was saying. "Sometimes it seems like we hardly ever get to see you."

"I know," he replied "Too much Order business, but I don't have any missions to complete this week." He smiled. "Dinner would be great." He followed James and Lily upstairs and bade goodbye to them as they Disapparated away.

The pub was almost entirely empty. Aberforth Dumbledore was putting glasses away behind the bar. Marlene stood in the corner, a cigarette dangling from her red lips. Her dark brown hair framed her face in elegant waves and her hazel eyes pierced his pale grey ones. She took a drag on her cigarette before she spoke. "I thought I'd wait for you."

Sirius took a cigarette of his own out of his pocket and lit it with a Muggle lighter. There was a certain amount of satisfaction in doing things the Muggle way. Even three years after he left his family for good, he still took every chance he got to reject everything they believed in.

He grinned at her. "You enjoyed yourself?"

She grinned back. "You know I did. Would you care for another round?" Her voice lowered to a purr.

"I would like that very much indeed," he said as he moved closer to her. "Your place or mine? Mine's a bit messy, but…" In truth, his flat was more like very messy.

"Mine," she cut him off. She put out her cigarette & Disapparated. Sirius followed suit and appeared in her living room a moment later.

Marlene's Diagon Alley flat was small, but quite comfortable. Her living room consisted of a couch, a pair of squishy armchairs, and a fireplace just big enough to use for Flooing. There was a wireless in one corner and a Muggle record player in another. Sirius smiled when he noticed it. He had one of his own, enchanted to run on magic.

Marlene took off her jacket and hung it on a coatrack by the door. Sirius followed suit, hanging his leather jacket up beside hers. "Please make yourself comfortable," she said as she went into the tiny kitchenette. He sat down on the couch.

A minute later, Marlene returned with a bottle of Firewhiskey. "Care for a drink?" she asked. "I know you like your Firewhiskey."

"You're right."

She conjured a pair of glasses, filled them, and handed one to him. He took a sip.

"You can never have too much Firewhiskey these days," he said.

"You've got that right," Marlene replied. "Things are getting worse." She became somber.

"I know." He took another swig of Firewhiskey. "It seems like it will never end. He's never going to stop, not till everyone who opposes him is dead."

Marlene moved closer to him and looped her free arm around his waist. Sirius tensed at the contact, but relaxed after another swig of Firewhiskey. "We never know if this day could be our last. I think we ought to live in the moment while we still have the chance." As she spoke, she slid her hand underneath his shirt.

Sirius emptied his glass and kissed her. Her lips were full and soft, and tasted of Firewhiskey. He didn't have nearly enough time to enjoy them before she broke off the kiss. "I can think of a better place for this sort of thing, don't you agree?"

He smiled at her. "Of course."

They'd scarcely gotten in the door to the bedroom when Marlene pressed her lips to his. How was it possible for a single pair of lips to be so perfect? He wanted to feel them all over him, on his neck, on his chest, on his nipples, on his…

Marlene interrupted his fantasy by ending the kiss and

instead running her hands under his shirt. "Oh Merlin," she sighed, "you've got such a nice body."

She led him over to the bed, and there was very little talking after that.

**

When Sirius woke up the next morning, it took him a brief moment to remember where he was through the haze of drowsiness. Then he glanced over at Marlene's sleeping form lying beside him and remembered everything that had happened the previous night. It was the best shag he'd ever had, simply put. It was only the second time they'd slept together, yet she seemed to know exactly how to bring him to the brink of ecstasy and beyond. But perhaps she was just more experienced than he was. Not that Sirius wasn't experienced, but Marlene was five years older than him. _I guess I like older women,_ he mused. _First Madam Rosmerta, now Marlene…_

Marlene interrupted his thoughts by rolling over onto her side, her back facing him. She was still asleep. His view of her ample breasts was ruined, but she did have an interesting tatoo to look at. It was a red rose, extending down from her left shoulder to halfway down her back. It was beautifully detailed, right down to the tiny thorns. But the most interesting thing about it was that it was a Muggle tatoo.

Sirius had never seen another wizard besides himself with Muggle tatoos. He'd been fascinated with them ever since he saw pictures of tatooed Muggles in his motorcycle magazines. The fascination continued when he saw them in person at a few concerts he'd attended. He knew he had to get some of his own, and so he'd got a pair of pawprints, one on each shoulder, and the constellation Canis Major across his upper back with his namesake star shown prominently.

He still got a bit of a kick whenever he got a new Muggle item. Sirius liked to picture his parents' reactions if they saw his flying motorcycle in particular. They would've been priceless. His father had died only a month ago, but some part of Sirius wanted to run into his mother in Diagon Alley one day, just so she could see him going around in a leather jacket and a pair of jeans. He recalled one memorable row when he'd come home for the summer wearing jeans and his dear old mum had thrown a fit and forbade him from wearing them. He'd had to Transfigure them in order to keep them from being thrown out by Kreacher. That was the summer when he'd finally had enough and run away to James's house. It seemed like that had happened ages ago now.

He turned his attention back to Marlene's tatoo. The deep red and vibrant green stood out against her pale, cream-colored skin. She really did have beautiful skin. It contrasted nicely with her deep burgundy sheets.

"Are you watching me sleep?" she asked, startling him out of his thoughts.

"I was admiring your tatoo. It's beautiful."

Marlene turned around to face him. "Thank you. I like yours too."

"Thanks," he said. "I'd always wanted a Muggle tatoo ever since I first saw them in a motorcycle magazine."

"I just wanted to be different. My mum is a Muggleborn, you know," she explained. In fact, Sirius hadn't known that Marlene was a half-blood. He chuckled.

"What's so funny?" she asked with a smile.

"I was just imagining how my parents would react if they knew I was sleeping with a half-blood," he answered with a grin. "My mother would be furious. Before I left, she kept lecturing me on how it was my duty to marry the 'right' sort of pureblood girl and produce male heirs to carry on the Black family name. I told her there was no way in hell I'd marry some pureblood twit just to have her precious heirs."

Marlene laughed. It was a nice sound- he liked girls who laughed, really laughed, not the sort who gave simpering little giggles. He'd spent plenty of time around the latter type during his parents' attempts to introduce him to the "right" sort of girl. "It must've taken a lot of strength to leave your family like that."

"Yeah," he said.

"I knew your cousins at school, you know. Andromeda was a year older than me and Narcissa was a year younger."

"Andromeda was always my favorite cousin. She still is, in fact. But Bellatrix and Narcissa were perfectly awful. As a matter of fact, Bellatrix still is." He shuddered at the memory of his last encounter with her during a battle between the Order and Death Eaters.

"With people like her in your family, it's no wonder that you ran away from home," said Marlene. She put her hand on his arm.

"It was the best decision I've ever made. I don't regret it. Not at all." After that, neither of them spoke for several minutes. The subject of his family was not something Sirius wanted to continue discussing. Instead he enjoyed the feeling of Marlene's hand resting on his arm.

"Perhaps we ought to get phoenix tatoos. Show off our pride at being members of the Order," Marlene mused.

"James and I already made Order shirts, but I like the idea of a pheonix tatoo. Perhaps we could get them on our upper arms?" Sirius suggested.

"Good idea," said Marlene. "Now it's getting late. We should probably get out of bed. Would you care for some breakfast?"

"Breakfast," he began, "would be excellent."


	2. Chapter 2

Later that week, Sirius flew his motorcycle to his cousin Andromeda's house. He could've Apparated, but Andromeda had anti-Apparition jinxes set up all around her house. But beyond that, Sirius loved to have an excuse to take his bike out.

In addition to being able to fly, the bike also had a powerful invisibility enchantment. It was the first thing Sirius added after the flight charm. He carefully landed in Andromeda's front yard, knowing that she wouldn't be very pleased with him if he ran over any of her flowers. Before going to the door, he took off the Disillusionment Charm he'd put on himself. He left the invisibility enchantment activated on the bike, though.

Sirius walked up to their front door and rang the doorbell. It was just after 4 in the afternoon and he hoped that his cousin was home. Andromeda and Ted were both Healers, but they worked separate shifts to ensure that someone would be home to watch little Nymphadora. Ted usually worked the night shift. He was used to it- just after he and Andromeda eloped, he'd worked nights in a seedy bar while they both studied to become Healers during the day.

Andromeda had clearly just got home from work. When she answered the door, she was still dressed in her St. Mungo's robes. "Sirius!" she cried as she embraced him.

"Dromeda!"

She released him. "Please come inside." As soon as Sirius set foot in their house, he felt something crash into his legs. He looked down into the excited face of Nymphadora Tonks.

"Dora, it seems you've grown since I last saw you," he said.

"I have," she replied. She let go of his legs and promptly changed her hair and eye colors to match his. She did this whenever he visited, but he still found it somewhat disconcering to see the classic Black looks on a small child. A quick glace at Dromeda told him she felt the same way.

"She can't change her height quite yet, but she's learning," Dromeda explained, cutting through the awkward moment. "Would you like to have dinner with us?"

"Thank you, dinner would be excellent."

Just then, Ted came down the stairs. "Hello, Sirius. What brings you here?"

"Well, I thought I'd pay you a visit while I have the chance. Dromeda's invited me to stay for dinner tonight."

Ted grasped his arm briefly. "We're glad to see you. Anytime."

"Why don't you come into the sitting room?" suggested Dromeda.

The Tonks's sitting room was completely unique among wizarding sitting rooms. A fireplace stood against one wall, but the room also featured a Muggle television. There was also a Muggle record player next to the TV. Numerous plants could be found throughout the room, as well as several toys. It was a far cry from the house Andromeda had lived in with her parents and sisters.

Sirius hung his leather jacket on a coat rack by the door and took a seat on their couch. Dora promptly sat beside him, her hair and eyes still matching his own. "I colored some pictures today in my Magical Creatures coloring book. Do you wanna see?"

"I'd love to," said Sirius. He was found of Dora and she was fond of him. She lept up from the couch and ran to get her coloring book.

Dromeda smiled. "She's always excited to see you."

"I would like to come visit more often, but I'm on Order business quite frequently these days. How are things at St. Mungo's?"

"They've been better." It was Ted who spoke. "Nearly every day we treat patients who are the victims of Dark magic or dementors."

"We try our hardest to save every one, but there are so many that are beyond our help," added Dromeda.

Just then Dora lifted the somber mood by returning with her coloring book. She sat down next to Sirius and flipped through the pages. "Look! I colored this one today. It's a hippogriff." She'd colored it in several bright shades of pink and purple. The hippogriff didn't seem to mind. It simply flapped its wings and regarded the viewer with fierce eyes. Sirius laughed, remembering the hippogriffs he'd studied in five years of Care of Magical Creatures.

"It's very nice," he said. "Have you ever seen a real hippogriff?"

"No, but I'd like to!"

"They're beautiful creatures. Fierce and dangerous, but beautiful. You'll get to see them if you take Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts."

"I can't wait to go to Hogwarts!" said Dora, brimming with excitement. "I don't want to wait five more years."

"It will come soon enough," said Dromeda. "Just be patient."

Sirius felt Dora squirm around on the couch. "I don't want to be patient." He smiled at that, for patience was not a virtue that he possessed in abundance. Dora settled down after that comment and busied herself by flipping through her coloring book. Sirius thought that perhaps now was the time to bring up the reason for his visit.

"So you were saying things are bad at St. Mungo's?"

"Yeah," said Ted. "We're understaffed to deal with all the casualties. And lots of Muggles have been coming in too, victims of dementors and the Cruciatus Curse, mostly."

"Have you ever considered taking action, as in actively fighting Voldemort?" Dromeda and Ted winced when he said the name.

Dromeda glanced over at Dora. "Dora, would you please go upstairs for a bit? We need to have an adult conversation."

Sirius expected her to pout, but to his surprise she went upstairs to her room with very few protests. Usually she preferred to spend time with him when he visited.

"If you join the Order of the Phoenix, you could help prevent these attacks," Sirius said.

"I knew you were going to ask as soon as you brought the subject of fighting You-Know-Who up," said Dromeda. Her grey eyes met his.

"We need more members, Dromeda. Voldemort's numbers are growing all the time and it's all we can do to hold them at bay," he explained.

"I'm so sorry, Sirius," she began, "but we can't join the Order of the Phoenix."

"Why?" His voice was filled with disappointment. He'd really hoped that Dromeda and Ted would join. They were certainly sympathetic to the Order's aims, after all.

"We've got a young child. We can't go around risking our lives every day." Dromeda's voice was stern.

"But if you fight against Voldemort, you'd be securing a better future for Dora," Sirius persisted.

Dromeda glared at him. "Sirius, think for a minute! Every day I worry that Bellatrix is going to attack us. You know how she is, you know how she thinks it's her duty to 'prune' the family tree. I have no doubt that she wants us dead. How can I put Dora in more danger than she already is?"

Sirius went quiet for a moment, recalling the last time he'd duelled his cousin. The Order had won the day and driven back the Death Eaters, but she'd been sure to call him a "filthy blood traitor" and inform him that he deserved to die. "She's after me too," was all he said.

Ted chose that moment to speak up. "Look Sirius, we're supportive of the Order and everything it stands for, but we can't put ourselves in that much danger."

"Someday, if you ever have children of your own, you'll understand," added Dromeda.

"Maybe," said Sirius. He couldn't keep his disappointment entirely out of his face. Fortunately, Dromeda went upstairs and told Dora she could come back downstairs if she wanted to. Then she excused herself and went into the kitchen to make dinner.

Dora brought a few of her dolls downstairs and showed Sirius one whose hair had been magicked to change color. He ended up playing dolls with her as they waited for dinner to be ready. It was a bit strange for him, since he and Regulus never had anything like dolls when they were young.

Eventually dinner was ready and Dromeda called them all into the kitchen. Sirius appreciated not having to cook for himself. He'd become a fairly decent cook in the two years he'd lived on his own, but it was nice to enjoy a meal cooked by someone else on occasion. Most of the time he couldn't be bothered to make anything too complicated for himself; he was too busy.

Dromeda was a good cook. As he ate, Sirius remembered how this hadn't always been the case. The women of the Black family did not cook. That sort of thing was for house elves. She'd never cooked a thing in her life before marrying Ted, and he was completely hopeless in the kitchen. She'd got better with practice.

No further mention was made of the Order for the duration of the meal. Instead Dora dominated the conversation, chattering excitedly about the types of flowers she wanted to plant in their garden this year. Listening to her reminded him of Dromeda's earlier comment about understanding if he ever had children of his own. _Well, that's not going to happen,_ he thought. He didn't want to pass his bad genes with their tendency to insanity on to the next generation.

When the meal was over, Ted left to change into his Healer's robes, bade Sirius goodbye, and Flooed to St. Mungo's.

"I really should be going," Sirius said to Dromeda after Ted left.

"It's always a pleasure having you visit. Dora really enjoys seeing you." As if on cue, Dora hugged Sirius around the knees. She was too small to reach much further up his tall frame. He bent down so she could give him a proper hug.

"When will you visit again?" she asked.

"Soon, Dora. I promise." He released her, straightened, and looked at Dromeda.

"Bye Dromeda, bye Dora. Thank you for dinner." As he moved to open the door, Dromeda spoke.

"Bye, Sirius. And take care of yourself."

He grinned. "Of course! When would I ever put myself in danger?" With that, he left.


	3. Chapter 3

Sirius Apparated just outside the Hog's Head and walked inside. The pub was mostly empty, as was normal on the nights of Order meetings. He was one of the first to arrive; they staggered the arrivals of all the members so as not to attract attention from the villagers. It was Sirius's turn to arrive early tonight. He nodded briefly to Aberforth at the bar before heading downstairs.

Only a handful of Order members were seated around the big table. Sirius immediately spotted the stocky, redheaded Prewett brothers and Mad-Eye Moody. Emmeline Vance was there as well, wearing her usual green shawl. He said hello to each of them in turn before taking his usual seat.

The other members of the Order gradually made their way into the room. James sat in his usual place at Sirius's left, with Lily on his other side. Peter arrived shortly after James and Lily, but Remus was absent.

"Do you know where Remus is?" Sirius muttered to James. "I haven't seen or heard from him since the week before last."

"Maybe he's on a mission for the Order," suggested James.

"But wouldn't we know if he were on a mission for the Order?" persisted Sirius.

"He told me that he had to go away for a while but wouldn't say where. If he was on a secret mission, we wouldn't know about it," said James.

The last members of the Order were coming in now, Marlene among them. She sat down at Sirius's right. "Hello, Lily. Hello, James," she said. Then she looked at Sirius and her lips twitched into a small smile. "Hello, Sirius."

"Hello, Marlene." He couldn't help but be distracted by her. She looked absolutely stunning with her tight Muggle clothing and deep red lips. _More witches should wear Muggle clothes._ He grinned at the thought.

Dumbledore entered the basement. He was always the last to arrive, and the meetings started when he got there. The room automatically went quiet as he sat down. "I hope you are all doing well tonight," he began.

"We're still alive, aren't we?" James quipped. Everyone laughed.

"I do hope we all remain that way. Now, I believe we discussed recruiting new members at the last meeting. Has anyone had any success?"

The looks on everyone's faces answered Dumbledore's question before anyone else spoke.

Edgar Bones was the first to say anything. "I talked to Amelia. She told me that she needed to devote her time to the Ministry."

"We could use a good witch like her," said Moody.

Marlene's hand was on Sirius's leg again. He didn't shiver this time, indeed, he'd been almost expecting her to do it again.

"We talked to Molly," Gideon Prewett was saying, "her and Arthur both. They said that joining the Order would put their children in too much danger. They've got five and none of them are of age."

"Perhaps they should've been more careful," Marlene muttered into his ear. Sirius couldn't help but smile a bit at that.

"Molly's a powerful witch," added Fabian. "We were hoping that she'd join in order to better protect her family, but she told us that they were in enough danger already and didn't need to add more."

It sounded just like what Andromeda had said to him. He still didn't understand it. Anyone who cared about their children, anyone who wanted a better and safer world for them, ought to fight against Voldemort. "My cousin Andromeda and her husband said the same thing. They've got a young daughter."

Other members of the Order spoke up, sharing similar stories. Not one person had succeeded in recruiting someone. "Things are getting worse. People are scared and no one wants to risk making themselves more of a target," said Lily.

The whole discussion was terribly depressing. The battles were getting worse and deep down Sirius knew it was only a matter of time before someone died. He really wanted a cigarette now. And a glass of Firewhiskey wouldn't go amiss either. Perhaps he could order some from Aberforth after the meeting.

'I must admit I was hoping for happier news," said Dumbledore. "A bit of good news would go a long way."

"The Ministry's been no help at all, as usual. I don't like the way Crouch's been handling things," Moody said. Sirius had to admit that he disagreed with the way the Ministry was fighting the war. Although he'd wanted to become an Auror when he first left school, he couldn't quite stomach the idea of serving such a corrupt institution as the Ministry. His family regularly bribed the Ministry just in case they ever decided to raid Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place- provided they could even find it. And he technically didn't need to work- Uncle Alphard left enough money for him to live on for some time. And when he heard that Crouch authorized the use of Unforgivables, he knew he'd made the right choice.

He half-listened to the rest of the meeting. He really wanted a drink and a cigarette. He was very much aware of Marlene's hand on his leg. It was making it quite difficult for him to concentrate on anything that anyone was saying. Finally, Dumbledore concluded the meeting and the members of the Order of the Phoenix went upstairs to Disapparate. Sirius made his way over to the bar, hoping that Aberforth would be willing to pour him a glass of Firewhiskey before closing up. James shot him a strange glance as he said goodbye, no doubt wondering why he was staying behind.

Once everyone else had left, Marlene sat beside him at the bar. "That was not a terribly encouraging meeting," she said, feeling the need to state the obvious.

"That's true," he replied. "I can't believe how cowardly some people are."

"I could use a drink to lift my spirits tonight."

"Me too. I know a good Muggle pub by my flat," he offered.

"Perfect." She smiled.

Sirius stood and offered his hand. "Here, I'll Side-Along Apparate you there."

Marlene took his hand. Tingles went up his arm. He relished even the chaste contact with her. With a pop, they left the Hog's Head and reappeared in a dark alley. "It's just around the corner," he said as he led her out of the alley.

The pub was dark and thankfully not crowded. A haze of smoke hung in the air, courtesy of the few people who were there. Sirius and Marlene sat down at a table in the corner. "Sometimes I eat here when I don't feel like bothering to cook something for myself," said Sirius. He took out a cigarette and lit it with his Muggle lighter.

"Can I use your lighter?" Marlene took out a cigarette of her own.

"Of course, but do you know how to use it?" he murmured, hoping that their table was sufficiently far away from the others so that none of the Muggles would overhear.

"I've used them a few times before." She lit her own cigarette and took a drag. Sirius found himself staring at her lips again. They were so full, so soft, so perfect…

"I can't quite imagine you cooking at all, I have to say," Marlene was saying. She was interrupted by a waitress asking what they wanted to drink. Sirius ordered a glass of whiskey. Muggle whiskey didn't have the burning kick of Firewhiskey that he was partial to, but it wasn't bad. Marlene ordered the same thing.

"I mean, you just don't seem like the cooking sort to me," Marlene continued.

"I'd never cooked a thing until I got my own flat. The Potters even gave me a cookbook when I left, _Easy Magical Cooking,_ I learned rather quickly after that," Sirius explained.  
"You should come over for dinner sometime," she said.

"I'd like that." The waitress returned, carrying their drinks. "I'd rather have Firewhiskey, but this is good," he said after the waitress left.

Marlene took a sip of hers. "I agree with you. It's good, for Muggle alcohol."

"Much better than the wine my parents used to serve at their fancy parties. Our house elf made it."

"You grew up with a house elf?"

"Yeah. He was a foul little toerag, too." Sirius grimaced at the thought of Kreacher.

"My mum always wanted a house elf, but we never could quite afford one," Marlene explained.

Eager to get his mind off Kreacher, Sirius spoke. "Wanna come up come up my flat tonight?"

Marlene finished the last of her whiskey and smiled. "I would love to."

Sirius drained his glass and put out his cigarette in the ashtray. He paid for their drinks (he made a point of carrying a bit of Muggle money at all times) and the couple walked out onto the street.

"My flat's just around the corner from here. We don't need to Apparate."

"All right," said Marlene. Her hand brushed against his. On impulse, he took it. After a short walk, they arrived at his building. He opened the door and led her inside.

Sirius's flat was on the top floor of the building. He and Marlene climbed up five flights of stairs before reaching it. A dark brown door with the number 17 in gold on it stood to their right. "Here it is," he said. He took a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. "I warn you that it's very messy."

"Sirius, I really don't mind," Marlene replied as he opened the door and escorted her inside.

The room was small and just as messy as Sirius had said. A fireplace, which Sirius magically added when he moved in and could only be seen by wizards, stood directly across from the door. Numerous books and papers were scattered across every surface. A pile of motorcycle magazines and _Daily Prophets_ covered half of the table. There was a small kitchenette at the end of the room, complete with a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. Sirius was rather embarrassed by that and reminded himself to be better about cleaning dishes in the future. He took off his leather jacket and draped it over the back of one of the kitchen chairs.

"Where do you want me to put my coat?" she asked.

"Oh, you can just put it here." He gestured to where he'd just put his jacket. She draped hers on top of his and sat down on the couch, nearly tripping over his motorcycle boots in the process.

Sirius rushed over and moved them by the door. "Sorry about that. I don't have people over here very much…"

Marlene cut him off. "It's fine." He sat down next to her and slid an arm around her waist. She responded to this by leaning closer to him. "I know I say this every time we're alone, but you are the best looking man I've ever been with," she murmured.

"Thank you," he replied. He was always flattered when someone complimented his looks. He knew that he was good-looking, but it wasn't something he thought about often other than to resent the strong resemblance he bore to other members of his family. Half the time he didn't even notice girls admiring him.

The tension that had been building between him and Marlene since the meeting was reaching a head. All of the previous times Marlene had taken the initiative, but she didn't seem to be doing that this time. Perhaps it was time for him to take the lead. He kissed her.

It was worth the wait and the time he'd spent fantasizing about her lips all night. Marlene deepened the kiss, her tongue sliding past his lips to rub against his.

"Where's your bedroom?" she asked as they broke apart, slightly breathless.

"This way," said Sirius. He led her out of the living room and into his bedroom.

It was small, and as messy as the living room. Miscellanious articles of clothing were strewn about the floor. In addition to the clothing, a pile of old schoolbooks stood in one corner. There was also a pile of dirty magazines on his nightstand, which Sirius hoped Marlene wouldn't notice. His bed was unmade as well, but he doubted Marlene would mind that. She sat down on the edge of the bed and didn't seem to notice its disarray.

He sat down next to her and pulled her into another kiss. It was even better than the first. His desire for her increased to a fever pitch as his tongue brushed against hers. Marlene's hands were sliding beneath his shirt and caressing his back. He didn't mind; he rather enjoyed the way her skilled hands slid across his skin.

When they broke apart, she spoke up. "Your bedroom is just how I imagined it looking."

Sirius was very surprised to hear that she apparently had thought about his bedroom prior to tonight. "It is?" he managed to say.

"Yes," she purred. It was extraordinary, Sirius thought, how she was able to put him off guard in a way that no one else was able to.

"I'm glad it lives up to your expectations," he said as he slid his hands beneath her shirt and lifted it off. He was amused to see that she was wearing a red, lacy bra. He wondered briefly if her knickers matched, then figured he'd find out soon enough.

His thoughts about Marlene's underwear were suddenly interrupted by her yanking his shirt up over his head. Tossing it aside, Marlene wasted no time and kissed him again. She slowly migrated down from his lips, kissing first his neck and then his collarbone. Sirius closed his eyes in contentment, enjoying the feel of those lips on his skin.

She migrated downwards, kissing as she went, until she took one of his nipples into her mouth. She caressed it with her tongue, tracing circles around it. Sirius gave a moan of pleasure; Marlene was so good with her tongue. She moved on to his other nipple now, caressing it as she had the other, imflaming his desire.

"Oh…" he moaned, "let me have a turn with you." Marlene stopped and looked at him. She sat up, unhooked her bra, and threw it to the floor with the rest of their discarded clothing.

It was of course not the first time he'd seen them, but Sirius had to stare a bit. They were, in his opinion, perfect, the best breasts he'd ever seen, and that included all the pinup girls in his magazines. They were round and full and fit nicely into his long, slender hands. He massaged them, gently at first, then more passionately as his desire increased.

Marlene closed her eyes and moaned. There was something about the way she moaned, the way the sounds came from deep in her throat, that aroused him even more. He kissed the tops of her breasts, tasting her soft skin and causing her to moan louder. He took one nipple into his mouth, teasing it with his tongue as his fingers played with the other.

"Oh Sirius," Marlene moaned, "you do that so well." Her hands were tangled in his hair, running through the sliky, black strands.

He paused and looked up at her. "Thanks. You're very good with your tongue yourself."

She sat up once again, smiled, and pulled off her skirt and underwear. Sirius noticed that they did in fact match her bra. He scarcely had a chance to admire her naked form before he felt her hands at his waist, undoing his belt and zipper. Sirius stood and slid off his jeans and underwear.

He felt Marlene's eyes roving his body and the thought was a pleasant one. Oh, there were a few things he hoped she hadn't noticed yet, but he liked the idea of being appreciated, desired, _wanted_ by someone.

Marlene reclined on the bed, her head resting on his pillow. His eyes raked her nude body, lingering on her breasts and hips and thoroughly appreciating the view. He walked over to the bed and situated himself comfortably between her legs. "You're the best looking girl I've slept with," he murmured as he cupped her breasts once more.

Marlene laughed at his repetition of what she'd said earlier. "You must be joking," she said with a smile. Her hands ran up and down his back.

"I swear I'm not," Sirius replied before Marlene pulled him against her & cut him off with a kiss. _Oh, her lips,_ he sighed to himself, and was disappointed when she broke off the kiss.

"Now," she moaned. "I want you right now."

Sirius smiled and thrust within her.

Marlene moaned loudly, her hands tightening on his back. She wrapped one leg around his legs. It seemed to Sirius that she was at her most beautiful right now, with her hair splayed out on the pillow and her face contorted in ecstacy. His pale grey eyes met her hazel ones and in that moment, the war and the entire outside world ceased to exist. It had narrowed to the two of them.

After they climaxed, they lay together in his tangled sheets, spent and satisfied. The outside world could wait.


	4. Chapter 4

"…and the Slytherins had to wear bright red and gold robes to the Quidditch match the next day!" Marlene laughed as Sirius finished telling his story.

"You and James were quite the troublemakers," she remarked. They were spending the evening in her flat. Sirius had come over for dinner and they'd settled down on her couch afterward. The Clash rang out from her Muggle record player.

"You haven't even heard a quarter of what we got up to!" he laughed. "I don't think any students ever caused Professor McGonagall as much grief as we did."

"I can only imagine," said Marlene.

Sirius grinned. For a fleeting moment he considered telling her about some of the other things he'd done, but the moment passed quickly. Not everyone in the Order knew that Remus was a werewolf, and that wasn't his secret to share. He learned his lesson about _that_.

He decided to change the subject. "What sort of things did you get up to at school?"

Marlene smiled. "Well, I didn't quite cause the amount of trouble that you and your friends did, but I was a naughty girl."

"Tell me something I don't know," quipped Sirius.

"I was in Ravenclaw," began Marlene, "but I liked to use the library for snogging more than studying."

"That's the best thing to use it for. Did you ever get caught?"

"A few times. Madam Pince wasn't very pleased."

"I only got caught once, by my brother. I happened to be with a Muggle-born at the time," Sirius explained.

"Your brother the Death Eater?"

"Yeah." A stabbing pain shot through Sirius at the thought of Regulus the Death Eater. He didn't like to think about what his brother had become.

"I hexed Narcissa once," Marlene was saying. "I remember she said something incredibly nasty to a Muggle-born friend of mine. She couldn't get the pimples off her face for weeks."

Sirius's face brightened. "That was you?"

"Yes it was."

"I've always known I have good taste in women."

Marlene smiled at him. "You really are quite the charmer, did you know that?"

"Of course."

She returned to the subject of their schooldays. "I got my share of detentions. I was rather quick to hex anyone I fought with."

Sirius had an image of school-aged Marlene hexing his cousins and their friends, most of whom were now Death Eaters. But then he was reminded of some of the times when he and James had hexed people who really didn't deserve it. He felt a little bit embarrassed about that now. "Did they always deserve it?" he asked.

Marlene was thoughtful. "I suppose not, but there were plenty of times when they did. There's something immensely satisfying about a particularly good hex."

"Especially if it's cast on a Death Eater,"said Sirius.

"Naturally. Personally I'm anxious for them to attack. It's been too quiet lately. I don't like it. They're probably planning something very nasty."

"You've got a point," Sirius replied. "I've been so on edge lately, just waiting to hear about an attack. _Constant vigilance._ Moody would be so proud."

She laughed. Sirius enjoyed the sound. She always laughed as if she really meant it. He leaned in a little closer to her. She made no movement other than to stroke his hair. Sirius closed his eyes slightly at the soothing gesture. "You like this very much, don't you?"

"You know I do," he said, perfectly content. He could stay that way for hours and not have any desire to move.

"Your hair is so soft," she murmured. "Soft and silky."

Sirius didn't say anything. He simply enjoyed the feeling of her fingers running through his hair. The silence continued for several more minutes. They were too caught up in savoring each other's presence to speak.

After what felt like entirely too short a time, Marlene stopped stroking Sirius's hair. He gave her an inquiring look, wondering why she'd stopped. She answered his question by kissing him. Heat flooded through his body at the touch of her lips on his. Memories of what else she'd done with those lips flashed in his mind. His hands rose to tangle themselves in her hair as his tongue brushed against hers.

They had scarcely paused for air when a silver cloud suddenly appeared in Marlene's flat. It solidified into the familiar form of James's stag Patronus. It looked directly at Sirius and spoke.

_Sirius,_ it cried out in James's voice, _Death Eater attack! The Badleys, just outside Hogsmeade! _After delivering the message, the Patronus dissolved.

Sirius and Marlene sprang apart. He rushed to his feet and hastily pulled on his Chuck Taylors and leather jacket. Marlene followed suit, throwing on a jacket and shoes while silencing the record player with a flick of her wand. Both of them Disapparated.

Sirius vaguely recalled where the Badley house was located from previous visits to Hogsmeade. Mr. and Mrs. Badley were both Muggle-born and they had a couple of small children. Their Muggle-born status explained why the Death Eaters had chosen to attack them. He Apparated a short distance away from the house. Marlene appeared just a few feet away from him.

They were in a grove of trees, which gave them an opportunity to observe the scene before them. Marlene crept closer to the house and motioned for Sirius to follow her.

The doors had been blasted off the house, but the fighting was taking place in the yard. Mr. and Mrs. Badley were struggling to hold off three Death Eaters. Sirius saw two children cowering in fear behind their parents. James and Lily were battling another pair of Death Eaters. Sirius also noticed Caradoc Dearborn, Sturgis Podmore, and to his surprise Aberforth Dumbledore fighting fiercely. Marlene rushed to join the Badleys and Sirius moved to help James and Lily.

Normally Sirius wouldn't curse an opponent when his back was turned, but there were certain situations when you had to make use of every advantage you had. He snuck up behind James's Death Eater and cast a quick Stunner. The Death Eater dropped, and James noticed who was responsible. "Sirius! You made it!" he exclaimed.

"Of course I did," said Sirius with a grin. He and James joined Lily and together they made short work of her Death Eater. He fell to the ground beside his fellow.

Sirius glanced around the yard and saw Mr. Badley clutching a wound in his side. Marlene was trying her hardest to distract the Death Eaters, but they were bearing down on him. Mrs. Badley was trying with difficulty to protect both her husband and children. He had to give them a chance to escape. He charged forward, shooting a Stunner at the nearest Death Eater.

The Death Eater dodged it easily, which Sirius anticipated. He quickly cast a Full-Body Bind curse at him, followed by an Impediment jinx. The Death Eater blocked both with a Shield Charm. Sirius used the brief pause in action to get a look at his opponent's eyes through the slits of the Death Eater mask.

They were blue. _Not Regulus._ During every battle, he always feared that he might cross paths with his brother. As much as he'd rejected his family, he still felt sick at the thought of fighting Regulus.

The Death Eater was studying Sirius as much as Sirius was studying him. "What a shame. A boy like you from one of the oldest and greatest pureblood families, wasting your life fighting for filthy Mudbloods. What a loss to our cause."

Sirius's eyes narrowed and anger rose within him. He didn't recognize this Death Eater, but apparently the Death Eater recognized him. "I'd rather fight for what you call "filth" than be a proper member of the Bigoted and Most Inbred House of Black."

The Death Eater shot a spell at him, and Sirius barely managed to cast a Shield Charm in time to block it. "It's your loss, then," said the Death Eater. "It won't be long before the Dark Lord's in charge. Blood traitors will be next to go after Mudbloods."

Sirius took advantage of his opponent's momentary distraction to cast a pair of Stunners at him. He only just managed to dodge both spells, but he recovered quickly. The Death Eater fired spell after spell at Sirius, so fast that his wand was almost a blur. Sirius had all he could do to block and dodge the curses. He tried to get a few of his own in when he could, but none of them got through.

He heard Marlene give a cry of triumph and glanced over quickly. Her face recalled how she looked when they shagged. There was something very primal about her in those moments, as if she lived for love and war.

Sirius realized his mistake too late. The Death Eater got a curse past his Shield Charm. Jabs of pain like electrical shocks ripped through his body. He fell to his knees and cried out, overwhelmed by the pain. Desperately he struggled to fight back the blackness that overwhelmed his mind…

He heard the Death Eater laugh with glee, heard Marlene cry out his name, felt her fingers close around his arm…

He knew no more.


	5. Chapter 5

When Sirius woke, he had no idea where he was and how he got there. He was lying in a comfortable bed, wearing nothing but his boxers. He gradually opened his eyes to take in the rest of his surroundings. His body ached terribly, and the memory of the duel and the horrible curse came back to him.

He was in a small bedroom. The ceiling beams were visible and the walls were painted a pale yellow. There were very few furnishings besides the bed; only a nightstand, two chairs next to the bed, & a wardrobe.

"I think he's awake," Sirius heard a familiar voice say. He couldn't recall whose it was.

"You should go to him. He's probably wondering where he is. He knows you," said a second voice.

"All right, Mum." The door opened. Sirius forced himself up onto the pillows with a grunt of pain. He looked up to see Marlene sitting in one of the chairs by the bed.

"Marlene," he said. "What… where am I?"

"At my parents' house. When I saw you fall, I brought you here. My mum's a Healer; she's been treating you," Marlene explained.

"What happened?" he asked. He could recall the curse and the pain very well, but he had no idea what the curse was.

"It was some sort of torture curse you got hit with, not the Cruciatus, but something very similar. You were unconscious for two days," said Marlene. "My mum gave you three different potions to heal the damage."

"Still hurts," he said.

"It will for a little while yet." She rested a hand on the bedspread. Slowly, and with his arm screaming at him in pain, he laid his hand on top of hers.

"Did the Badleys escape?"

"Yes. James and Lily got them to safety."

"What about the others? Was anyone else hurt?"

"Only minor injuries. The Death Eaters were worse off than we were, but most of them escaped. We did catch a couple, though."

"Good," said Sirius.

"James was very worried about you. He Flooed me wanting to know where you were and how you were doing."

Inwardly, Sirius beamed at the thought that so many people cared about him. He still wasn't used to it.

"What happened to the captured Death Eaters?"

"James told me that he contacted Moody and he came to arrest them," said Marlene.

"I hope the Ministry gives the bastards what they deserve." He tried to sit up properly, but his back protested.

"Don't try to sit," called a voice he didn't know. "Just lie down and rest." Marlene shifted her chair to the side and Sirius saw a woman standing in the doorway. She was dressed in rather plain Muggle clothing and her brown hair was pulled back into a bun. She walked over to the bed and sat down in the remaining chair. Sirius took a closer look at her, and noticed she had the same eyes as Marlene.

"Sirius, this is my mother, Elizabeth," said Marlene.

"It's so nice to see you awake at last and meet you properly," Mrs. McKinnon said with a smile.

"I'm glad to be awake." Sirius manged a grin. "And I'm pleased to meet the person who's been healing me."

"It was a nasty curse you were hit with, but fortunately I've dealt with it a couple times before," explained Mrs. McKinnon.

"So you're a Healer at St. Mungo's?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Do you know my cousin Andromeda Tonks, or her husband Ted?"

"Oh yes. Very nice people and excellent co-workers." Mrs. McKinnon turned her attention to the nightstand, where a flask of some thick, dull gray potion stood beside his wand. He guessed this must be one of the potions she'd given him.

"I'm afraid that this is probably more palatable when you're unconscious, but you've got to drink it."

Sirius tried again to get into a sitting, or at least more upright, position. He managed to sit up enough to swallow, but the pain was intense. Mrs. McKinnon handed him a mug filled with the gray potion.

He slowly raised the mug to his lips and took a sip. He nearly spat it back out- the potion was indeed quite nasty. "Why can't they ever make these things taste decent?" he commented.

"Good question," Marlene replied. "Would you like something to eat? You must be hungry."

That was an understatement- famished was more like it. Sirius nodded.

"I'll make you something to wash that potion down with," said Mrs. McKinnon. She rose from her chair and left the room.

"I'd love it if she brought me some firewhiskey," Sirius remarked.

"Of course you would. I think I'd feel the same if I were you." Marlene looked thoughtful for a moment. "There's a good chance my parents might have some, actually."

It seemed like the McKinnons were the "fun" sort of parents, totally different from his parents who were about as far from "fun" as could be. Marlene and her mother seemed quite at ease around each other. Sirius had to admit he was a bit jealous. People who had good relationships with their parents never seemed to realize how lucky they were. Suddenly something occurred to him at the thought of Marlene's parents.

"Do they… your parents… do they know about us?" he asked, hesitation in his voice.

"Yes," she replied. "I had to tell them, but don't worry!" she noticed the look on Sirius's face. "My mum is fine with it. My dad's a bit protective, but he knows I'm more than capable of taking care of myself."

The image of Marlene's face during the battle came to him, her ferocity, the gleam in her eyes. There was something about her in that moment that made him even more attracted to her than he already was.

"Why did you bring me here instead of St. Mungo's?"

"It was the first place I thought of. I panicked, I knew I had to get you to safety right away… I couldn't just leave you there where the Death Eaters could've finished you off." She looked away from him, as if she did not quite want to meet his eyes. "I care about you, Sirius."

"I… care about you too, Marlene." It was difficult to get the words out. It was always difficult for him to admit he cared about someone. Growing up in the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Sirius learned quickly not to admit vulnerability. Something had changed in their relationship, but Sirius couldn't pinpoint exactly when and how the change took place. It was apparent that their relationship had progressed and was no longer just about shagging.

Mrs. McKinnon returned bearing a tray, interrupting Sirius's thoughts. "I've brought you some lunch," she said.

"Lunch?" Sirius had no idea it was so late.

"Oh yes, it's nearly 1 in the afternoon," said Mrs. McKinnon. Sirius tried to sit up as she approached with the tray. It was less painful this time, most likely due to the nasty gray potion. Marlene moved his pillows up against the headboard so that he could sit propped up against them. Mrs. McKinnon carefully situated the tray in his lap.

"Thank you," he said. "I'm starving."

"You're welcome," replied Mrs. McKinnon. "Now I'll leave you to your lunch." She left.

It was a bowl of hot soup that smelled delicious, a mug of tea, and several thick slices of bread. Sirius was more of a coffee drinker than a tea drinker, but he appreciated having something to wash the nasty taste of the potion out of his mouth. He scarcely waited for the soup to cool off before tasting it.

It tasted like the best thing he'd ever eaten. He finished off the bowl in hardly any time at all, and used the bread to soak up the remains. Marlene was still sitting silently in her chair beside the bed, letting him enjoy his meal. Only after he'd finished the soup and the bread did Sirius speak again.

"Your mum is a good cook."

"She really enjoys it. It's a bit of a hobby for her," Marlene explained. "She's always liked potions, too. It's important for a Healer to be good at potions."

Sirius frowned. The mention of potions skill reminded him of Snivellus. He recalled many a Potions class when Slughorn would heap praise upon Snivellus's potion while the git smiled smugly. Slughorn liked Sirius too- kept trying to "collect" him and get him to join the Slug Club- but Sirius never liked Potions. He was good at it, indeed he got an E on his Potions N.E.W.T., but the picky, fussy subject didn't appeal to him. "I never liked Potions."

"Neither did I. Mum's talent completely passed me over." Marlene smiled. "I don't think I'm really missing much."

Sirius laughed. Just then, Mrs. McKinnon returned with a faintly-smoking mug in one hand. She walked over to the bed and glanced at the empty soup bowl on the tray. "I see you finished eating," she observed.

"It was very good. Thank you for taking the trouble to make me something," said Sirius.

"Oh, it was nothing." Mrs. McKinnon set the mug down on the nightstand and picked up the tray. "It's time for another potion. I promise that this one tastes better than the other. I'm afraid it has some side effects, though. It will make you quite drowsy." She walked out of the room, carrying the tray. Sirius picked up the mug, grasping it in both hands, and took a sip. It did taste much better than the other potion.

He'd hardly finished the mug before he began to nod off.

**

He did not wake until late that evening. It was a bit of a start to look out the window and see the sky growing dark. Sirius was also startled to realize that he felt much better. Much of the pain had gone. He sat up. He had just started to get out of bed when he remembered he was wearing nothing but his boxers.

A quick search of the wardrobe revealed his jeans, shirt, and socks. He dressed, pocketed his wand, and stepped out into the hallway. Several other doors opened off of it and a staircase led down to the first floor. He walked downstairs and into the living room.

His first impression of the living room was that it was the complete opposite of the drawing room at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Everything about it was cozy, warm, and inviting. The couch and armchairs looked squishy and reminded Sirius of the ones in the Gryffindor common room. Marlene was sitting in one of them beside the fireplace, chatting with an older man who Sirius guessed must be her father. It took a moment before she realized he was standing in the entryway.

"Sirius! Why don't you come in and sit down?" She moved over to the couch and patted the cushion. He sat down beside her.

"This is my father, John," Marlene said, motioning to the older man.

"I'm pleased to properly meet you at last," said Mr. McKinnon.

Sirius smiled and gave him a polite nod. He wanted to make a good impression on Marlene's father, although he figured that since the man had allowed him to stay in his house he must not loathe him.

"You must be hungry. I'll get you some dinner." She went into the kitchen. Judging by the wink she gave him as she walked out of the living room, she was very deliberately leaving him alone with her father.

"So," began Mr. McKinnon, "Marlene tells me that you're a member of the Order of the Phoenix."

"Yes," said Sirius. "I was injured while saving a Muggle-born family from Death Eaters."

Mr. McKinnon's face was unreadable. "An unusual thing for a member of your family to be doing."

His family. Would he ever be free of them? Half the Order hadn't trusted him when he'd first joined after hearing his last name. He was getting tired of it. "I'm not like the rest of them. I've been disowned, in fact."

To Sirius's surprise, Mr. McKinnon smiled. "I didn't think Marlene would bring you here if she didn't trust you. Still, she is my only daughter and I can't help being protective."

Sirius relaxed a bit. It was refreshing to know that Mr. McKinnon was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Their conversation was interrupted by the opening of the front door. It was Mrs. McKinnon, carrying a basket of what appeared to be potions ingredients. She walked into the kitchen and set the basket down on the table before entering the living room.

"Hello, Sirius. It's nice to see you out of bed. Would you care for some dinner?"

As if on cue, Marlene returned with a tray laden with food. "Hi, Mum. I was just heating up some leftovers from dinner." Mrs. McKinnon conjured a small table in front of Sirius and Marlene set the tray on it.

He was nearly as famished as he'd been earlier. He finished the meal quickly, hardly pausing to join Marlene and her parents' conversation.

No sooner had Sirius fnished his meal than Mrs. McKinnon collected his tray and took it into the kitchen. She emerged with yet another potion, which had to be the mysterious third one he'd not had yet today. "You must be terribly sick of these by now, but you need to have this," Mrs. McKinnon insisted. She held out a goblet of a bright aqua potion. Sirius took it, hoping very much it wouldn't taste bad. He really didn't want to bring up the delicious meal he'd just eaten.

To his surprise, the potion was tasteless. It was a bit of a relief. "Does this one have any side-effects?"

Mrs. McKinnon shook her head. "No. It should be fine."

He stayed downstairs with the McKinnons for a while, gradually relaxing as he talked more with Marlene's parents. It turned out that Mr. McKinnon was high up in the Department of Magical Transportation. Sirius wondered what the man would think of his motorbike, but chose not to mention it. He didn't need to get in trouble with the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. He also learned that Marlene had three brothers. One of them, Bobby, had been in Sirius's year at Hogwarts.

Eventually Sirius began to feel tired again, and excused himself. He went back to the upstairs guestroom, Marlene following behind him. She entered the room after him and shut the door.

"How come you followed me? I hate to say that I'm hardly up for a shag tonight."

Marlene laughed. "I didn't come here for that, I just wanted to kiss you goodnight and make sure you were comfortable."

"Are you planning on staying the night anyway?"

"I will, if you ask me nicely."

Sirius undressed as she spoke, turning his back to her and carelessly tossing his shirt and jeans aside. When he turned to look at her, the mirthful expression of a moment ago was suddenly replaced by a somber one. "What's wrong?" he asked as he climbed into bed and settled himself under the covers.

Marlene sat down in one of the bedside chairs. "I hope you won't be angry if I ask you this."

What on earth did she want to ask him? "No… I won't get angry."

"Where did those scars on your back come from?"

Suddenly the small room seemed to disappear as memories overtook him. He was five years old. He and Regulus had disobeyed their mother's orders to stay inside the house. That was the first time and Sirius could remember it quite clearly, the sting of her hand against his cheek. Then there was the time a few years later when he'd snuck out to play with some Muggle children. She used a Cutting Curse on him then, and that was the first scar. They came more frequently after he went to Hogwarts as he began to rebel more and more. The worst had been on the night he'd run away. She'd heard about him snogging a Muggle-born girl in Hogsmeade. It started as a shouting match but quickly escalated. Sirius was bruised and cut all over by the time he managed to climb up three flights of stairs to the safety of his room. At least he was able to get a few good hexes in that time. This particular incident was what finally drove him to leave home for good.

He struggled to find the words, silently cursing Marlene's curiosity. Sirius had never told anyone about the abuse. James found out the night a battered Sirius showed up on his doorstep. He'd never asked Sirius about what had happened, and Sirius was grateful for that. If Remus or Peter had ever noticed the scars, they said nothing. And none of his previous lovers had ever said anything.

"They're from my mother," he began. "Cutting Curses, mostly."

Marlene's eyes widened slightly in shock. "I knew your family was nasty, but I had no idea it went this far. I can't believe your own mother would treat you so horribly."

Sirius gave a very small smile. "You've clearly never met my mother, and hopefully you never will."

Marlene sat in one of the chairs beside the bed. "Is that why you ran away?"

"Well, it started out as an argument about me snogging Muggle-borns andbefore long spells were flying. I'd had it. I knew I couldn't take any more of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. I went to James's house and his parents were kind enough to take me in. I could barely stand when I made it to their doorstep."

She laid a hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry, Sirius. I'm so sorry."

The feeling of her hand on his bare skin pushed the bad memories away. He opened his mouth to protest when she removed it, but Marlene spoke first.

"I think I will stay here with you, if you don't mind. I understand if you'd rather be alone while you're healing…"

"Mind? Of course I don't mind."

Marlene smiled at him. "Good." Sirius watched as she stripped, enjoying the view. He only had a few moments to admire her nude body before she joined him in the bed.

There was something almost comforting about her body lying beside his. Marlene put her arms around him, pulling him against her. Sirius closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, enjoying being held by someone who cared about him.


	6. Chapter 6

Sirius remained at the McKinnons' house for two more days before Mrs. McKinnon deemed him ready to go home. He was eager to return to his flat, but at the same time he was reluctant to leave the sanctuary of their house. The war was waiting outside, and it had no mercy.

Marlene stayed at her parents' house the whole time Sirius was there. He wasn't quite sure why- perhaps she didn't want to leave him alone with her parents- but he was grateful for it. He bade goodbye to all of the McKinnons, thanking them for their hospitality, and left for his flat.

**

One week after he left the McKinnons' house, Sirius found himself at James and Lily's house. Both of them were quite relieved to see him well again.

"We were so worried about you," said James as he and Sirius sat down on his couch. "I tried Flooing Marlene's flat first, but she wasn't there. Fortunately I managed to talk to her at her parents' house."

"Yeah, she told me," Sirius replied.

"It was a good thing that she thought quickly and got you out of there," said James, looking thoughtful.

"I would've done the same for her, or anyone else in the Order."

Lily entered the living room and sat next to James on the couch. He put an arm around her.

"It's great to see you again," said Lily.

"I'm glad to be back."

"I think this is a cause for celebration." James removed his arm from Lily's shoulders and stood. "I'll get some firewhiskey." He walked into the kitchen.

"James was beating himself up over the whole thing. He felt guilty because we were fighting and couldn't help you." Lily's voice was soft.

"He shouldn't feel that way. It couldn't be helped. Beating the Death Eaters and saving the Badleys was more important than saving me," Sirius replied.

Lily looked directly into his eyes, emerald meeting silver. "Don't say that, Sirius. Lots of people care about you and we'd be devastated if we lost you."

Before he was able to contemplate her words, James returned with a bottle of firewhiskey and three glasses. He handed two to Lily and Sirius and kept the last for himself. Sirius took a sip from his glass, savoring the familiar burn of the alcohol. This was the first time he'd had a drink since before the battle. It felt good.

James looked at him, observing the contented look on his face. "You and your firewhiskey. A perfect couple."

Sirius smirked. "Much easier than having a girlfriend."

James's raised eyebrow did not escape Sirius's notice.

"Have you heard from Remus lately?" he asked.

"No, we haven't," Lily replied.

"Why do you keep bringing this up, Padfoot?" James looked directly at him.

"Well don't you think it's strange that we haven't heard from him in weeks? He could be dead for all we know!" Sirius exclaimed.

"He's probably on a mission for the Order. Dumbledore would know if he was dead. He'd tell us," said James.

"It just worries me that no one's heard from him, that's all."

Lily quickly jumped in and changed the subject. "Sirius, would you like to stay from dinner?"

"Of course. You know I'd never turn down an offer like that!"

A meaningful glance passed between Lily and James. "I've got to step out to Diagon Alley and run a few errands," said Lily. "I'll be back in a little while." She grabbed a purse that had been sitting on the coffee table and Disapparated.

Sirius had a suspicion that she'd left in order to give him and James some time together. He appreciated that.

"What's going on with you and Marlene?"he asked.

Sirius hesitated, unsure of how to answer. The truth was that after his stay in the McKinnon home he wasn't exactly sure what was going on between him and Marlene. What he did know was that they were no longer friends with benefits. But on the other hand, he was reluctant to call her his girlfriend.

"Well…" he began, "I guess we're dating."

"What do you mean, you 'guess?'"

"We've been shagging since April, but things have got a bit more serious lately," he admitted.

James grinned. "I thought things were always serious with you around."

Sirius laughed at one of his familiar jokes being turned on him. "Naturally, Prongs."

"No wonder you've looked so tense during Order meetings when she's next to you. I've never seen you look like that around girls unless it was a girl you fancied," said James, returning to the topic of Marlene.

"She puts her hand on my leg under the table. She's done it at every meeting since we first slept together. I can't say I really mind it."

"Has Padfoot finally settled down?" James raised an eyebrow.

Sirius gave a bark-like laugh. "Hardly. It was only while I was staying at her parents' house that we admitted it's become more than a 'friend with benefits' sort of thing."

"So you and Rosmerta is truly over?"

"For right now, anyway. Although if Marlene and I break up I'm sure Rosmerta would welcome me back." Sirius smiled at the memory of his times with her. It had begun as innocent flirtation at the Three Broomsticks but evolved into much more during his seventh year. It was fairly well-known that Rosmerta enjoyed the company of handsome young men. Soon enough, Sirius found himself one of her favorites. He'd frequently borrowed James's Invisibility Cloak and snuck out to visit Rosmerta in her room above the Three Broomsticks. There was something quite exhilarating about being with an older woman. She'd given him quite an education, that was for sure. Their relationship had changed into a sort of "on again, off again" thing once he'd left Hogwarts, and drifted firmly into "off" mode once the war escalated. He missed Rosmerta from time to time.

"I don't know Marlene well, but I think she could be a good match for you," said James. Sirius felt relieved; he didn't think James would disapprove of him and Marlene, but he still felt awkward. Perhaps it was his confusion about his own feelings for Marlene coming through.

"We really should have a Marauders-only night sometime soon," James suggested. "Like whenever Remus gets back."

"Yeah," said Sirius, but the mention of Remus soured his mood. He just couldn't shake his suspicions about Remus's disappearance and lack of contact with any of them. "We need something to get our minds off of the war." He gave a small sigh. "It was so much simpler when we were at Hogwarts. We were good and the Slytherins were bad, and the worst we had to worry about was being put in detention for hexing them. Not like now, not like the constant fear you might someday have to fight your own brother in battle."

"Regulus chose his side. You can't keep blaming yourself for it."

"I know, but I can't bear the thought of fighting him." Sirius really didn't expect James to understand. He didn't have any siblings himself and Regulus had been nothing to him but a Slytherin and Sirius's Death Eater brother.

Thankfully he was spared having to continue the conversation by the reappearance of Lily, carrying numerous packages. Sirius pushed the unpleasant thoughts of Regulus out of his mind and resolved to enjoy the rest of his time with James and Lily.


	7. Chapter 7

Sirius made his way down Diagon Alley, his pockets clinking with coins after a visit to Gringotts. He was looking for a certain shop that he'd walked by a hundred times, but never visited. It was quite annoying, he thought, that he couldn't find the place. It had to be here somewhere…

At last, he spotted it. A battered sign over the door read "The Magical Treasure Chest." A large store window showcased a variety of unusual magical objects, among them an enormous crystal ball, several huge gemstones, and a large, ornate mirror. This had to be the place.

He opened the door and stepped into the shop. Chimes hanging from the door jingled loudly as he entered. Sirius wondered how the store's employees weren't driven mad by having to listen to that all day. However it soon became apparent that the shop was filled with a myriad of other noises. Strange instruments that Sirius couldn't identify whirred and spun from their positions on shelves along the walls. He was reminded of the many delicate instruments in Dumbledore's office.

Sirius was admiring a large display of astronomical instruments, including telescopes and rotating models of the heavens, when he heard a voice behind him. "Can I help you with anything?" Sirius turned and saw an old man in shabby turquoise robes and oval glasses.

"Yeah, is Marlene working today?"

"She's in the back. I'll go get her." The man turned and left, disappearing through a door behind the register. A moment later he re-emerged, Marlene behind him.

"Sirius! What a nice surprise!" she greeted him with a smile. As she stepped out from behind the counter, he got a good look at her outfit. It was unusual, even for Marlene. She wore dark purple robes cut to just above the knee, black silk stockings, and high heels. Sirius had never seen robes cut so short before, not even on his cousins, and he certainly appreciated the style. It gave him a nice view of her legs. He was surprised that she wore such an outfit to work, but apparently it was allowed.

"You look… stunning," he said.

"Thanks. Sirius, this is my boss, Thaddeus Slater. Thaddeus, this is Sirius Black. He's my boyfriend."

"Ah," said Thaddeus before turning to look at Sirius. "Nice to meet you."

"The same," he replied.

"Thaddeus, do you mind if I talk to Sirius for a bit?" Marlene asked.

"Oh, certainly. I'll mind the shop," said Thaddeus.

Marlene led Sirius into the back room. It was a small, dark room, lit only by a single lamp which stood on a roll-top desk near the door. Shelves lined with more strange magical objects covered the walls. Marlene took a seat in the chair by the desk and conjured a second chair for Sirius to sit in. "It's a pleasant surprise to see you here. I wasn't expecting you to come by today," she began.

Sirius smiled. "I had to go to Gringotts, so I figured I might as well see if you were working. I'm surprised your boss is letting you off to talk to me. I mean, we could be shagging in here." His smile transformed into a wicked grin.

"Thaddeus is an easygoing sort. Besides, it's nearly my lunch hour." She reached into the desk and took out a lunch bag. "Have you eaten?"

"I just got a sandwich at the Leaky Cauldron before coming over here."

Marlene made a face. "My experience with the Leaky Cauldron food hasn't been pleasant."

"The sandwiches are fine; it's the soups you ought to stay away from. Of course, I prefer the Three Broomsticks."

Marlene took a sandwich of her own out of the lunchbag. "Sometimes I go to one of those Muggle places around here for lunch, but eating out every day gets expensive." She took a bite of her sandwich.

"You've got some really interesting stuff in here," Sirius observed as he studied the room more closely.

Marlene opened a Muggle soda can and took a sip. "Some of it is used. People sell it to us. The rest is new, which we get from the makers. We do rather well; the only other store around specializing in unusual and powerful magical objects is Borgin and Burke's, down Knockturn Alley."

Sirius remembered going in there once with his parents. "I like this place better. I've been by it loads of times, but I've never been inside until now."

Marlene took out a clump of grapes and popped one into her mouth. Sirius was suddenly distracted by the mental image of himself reclining on a lounge, being fed grapes by a scantily-clad Marlene. He smiled.

It didn't escape her notice. "Do I want to know what you're thinking about?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Well, do you want to feed me grapes while wearing an Arabian Nights-sort of costume?"

"How do you know the Arabian Nights? I can't imagine your parents approved of Muggle literature, from what you've told me."

"My uncle Alphard read them to me whenever he babysat me and Regulus. But what about my question?" He gave her a very wicked grin.

"Well, I suppose that could be arranged. Perhaps it could be a birthday treat." Marlene's smile matched Sirius's own.

"But my birthday's not till December!" he whined.

Marlene's grin widened. "The wait will make it more enjoyable."

"Could I have one of your grapes anyway?" he asked.

"Of course."

Sirius plucked one from the stem and put it in his mouth. Marlene watched his hand with a strange expression on her face. "What is it?"

"Oh, there's just something I've been curious about for a while," Marlene admitted.

"Is it another question about my childhood?"

"No. It's about that ring you always wear, on your right hand. What is it?"

Sirius looked down at his right hand. On his ring finger was a silver ring shaped like a pair of serpents entwined and decorated with a row of alternating diamonds and emeralds. "It's a family heirloom. I got it when I was fifteen; I guess they thought maybe that it would get me to be a 'proper' Black." He put his hand on the desk, letting the gemstones on the ring catch the light.

"Why didn't you take it off when you left your family?" she asked.

"I tried to, but it won't come off. I tried magic and Muggle methods, but nothing works. I'd really like to get rid of it," Sirius explained.

"Did you try using oil to slide it off?"

"Yeah, that and water. I tried severing it with _Diffindo _too. Nothing."

"Hm, that's odd. Maybe it likes you," she said.

Sirius laughed. "A Black family heirloom, like me? But I'm the family disgrace, the 'shame of her flesh' as my dear old mum put it."

"What if she didn't disinherit you? What if it still recognizes you as the heir?" Marlene suggested.

"Oh, no, she definitely disinherited me. Regulus told me that she burned me off the family tree, so there's really no doubt she disinherited me too."

Marlene looked thoughtfully at the ring. "Is it magic?"

"Probably. Most Black family heirlooms are," said Sirius.

"You really should try to find out if it is or not. I mean who knows? It might have powers that could be useful."

Sirius looked down at the ring. He'd always hated it; always wanted to be rid of it. There was a part of him which was reluctant to admit that the ring could be useful, but the fact of the matter was that any magical artifact that could help him survive the war was to be utilized.

"I could help you try to figure out its powers," she offered. "I do that sort of thing all the time here."

"All right," he conceded. "But knowing my family, it's probably full of Dark magic."

Marlene took out her wand and gave the ring a tap. Nothing happened. She repeated the motion. Still nothing happened. "Hmm," she muttered, "maybe you should give it a go."

Sirius, holding his wand in his left hand, gave the ring a tap. Immediately the gems began to glow with a vibrant inner light. "Well, that did something. Might kill me next, but…"

"Nothing's going to kill you while I'm here," Marlene cut him off. "I think you've awakened its powers now. We just need to figure out what they are." She touched the ring with her wand once more before chanting in a language Sirius didn't know, but he thought might be Latin. The gems blazed even brighter than they had when he'd tapped it with his own wand. Marlene's eyes closed in concentration.

After a few moments of this, the light began to fade. Marlene's eyes opened and she looked at Sirius. "It's protective," she said. "Its magic is to protect, not to attack. I don't think we need to worry about it killing you."

"Well, that's a relief," he quipped. "What was that spell you did? I've never seen anything like it before."

"It's a spell to make a magical object reveal the nature of its powers. We use it all the time here," explained Marlene. She took a sip of her soda. "I think we should do a bit of experimenting to find out exactly how its protective magic works." Without any further warning, she fired a non-verbal spell at him.

Sirius resisted the urge to dodge the spell and shout _"Protego!" _Doing the only thing he could possibly think of to test the ring, he thrust his right arm into the path of the spell. The flash of oncoming light was absorbed, and the ring glowed brightly before returning to its original state.

"That was interesting," said Marlene dryly.

Sirius looked down at the ring again. "It seems to work like a Shield Charm."

"You could use it to block spells while casting others. You could stay on the attack."

"I'll need to get used to it."

"Well," Marlene began, "I'm perfectly willing to help you practice." She gave him a very wicked grin.

"Oh, I'm sure you would. I'd almost rather face a Death Eater in battle than practice dueling with you." It was becoming more and more apparent to Sirius that Marlene thought of dueling as a sort of foreplay. She was always up for a shag afterwards, and Sirius had to admit he found that sexy.

She laughed for a moment before realization dawned on her face. "Oh! This reminds me- my parents have invited you over for dinner next Saturday. We could do a bit of practice dueling afterward, I don't think they would mind."

Of all the places Sirius expected Marlene to invite him, dinner at her parents' house wasn't one of them. It wasn't that long ago that he was there, after all. "They've invited me over for dinner?" he managed to say.

"Yeah. I guess they thought it was appropriate, since we're kind of officially a couple now."

He'd never been invited over for dinner by the family of a girl he was dating. Although to be honest, he'd had very few relationships that progressed far enough for him to meet the parents of the girls he dated at all. James's parents used to invite him over for Sunday lunch, but that was different considering they'd essentially adopted him. "Dinner would be great," he said.

There was a knock on the stockroom door. "That must be Thaddeus," said Marlene. "He's probably wondering exactly what we're doing in here."

Sirius laughed and stood. "See you later tonight?"

"Of course," said Marlene. She stood and gave him a kiss. "My flat."

Sirius left the Magical Treasure Chest in a very good mood.


End file.
